I Have Fallen
by solitaryrain
Summary: The destruction of the Ring from Frodo's point of view, with a little twist at the end.


Frodo's P.O.V

Sam, my dear Sam, I'm here at the end of all things with you, though I am slowly fading away to nothing as the Ring takes control. We are close now, so close to Orodruin, so close to throwing away this Ring and saving Middle Earth. But I am torn, for though I wish to save Middle Earth, this thing is precious to me, and I wish no harm to it.

This is a hard decision to make, though for you it would be easy. You have not carried the Ring as far as I have, nor have you experienced the longing that festers in my heart.

But Sam, you remain ever faithful, though I have hurt you so deeply. When I stumble, you pick me up; when I fall, you always catch me.

As we approach Orodruin, it gets harder and harder for me to keep going, and I look at you and see you have the same trouble as well. I fall, though you keep going, but then you fall as well. We have given ourselves up to this mission and our strength it beginning to wane.

I go on, desperate to end my suffering; I finally give in to exhaustion. After a few minutes of rest, you crawl over to me, and take me in your arms. I am grateful for the support, my dear Sam. You look in my eyes, and you see the hurting, the pain, and the exhaustion. I know this, for your eyes slowly fill with tears as the knowledge that I will never be the same again fills your heart. But nonetheless, you begin to speak to me, of things I had long forgotten.

"Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon, and the orchards'll be a blossom, and the birds'll be nesting in the hazel thicket, and they'll be sowin' the first of the summer barley in the lower fields, and eating the first of the strawberries and cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries, Mr. Frodo?" you ask quietly.

I try my hardest to recall what you are talking about, but I can no longer remember. "No Sam," I rasp out quietly, "I can't recall the taste of food, or the sound of water, or the touch of grass on my feet. I'm naked in the dark." I begin to feel panic clutching at my heart. "There's no veil between me and the wheel of fire!"

As I become even more frightened, I see you begin to cry. "I can see him with my waking eyes!"

As I say that last sentence, a determination I rarely see comes out on your face, and you set your jaw. "Then let us be rid of it!" you say, "once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo!" you begin to pick me up, "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you! Come on!" And as you stand up, and lift me up with you, I am grateful, for I know I couldn't have chosen a better person to be with me right now.

I whisper my thanks, but you do not hear me. As you carry me up the mountain, I sink a bit lower with the weight of the Ring, for as we near Orodruin, the Ring senses its fate, so it is trying to escape.

"Clever Hobbits to climb so high!" I hear Gollum before I see him. He jumps off the rock face and tears me off of your back in a fit of wild anger. He strangles me, and I am helpless, for his grip is too strong. As the last bit of air in my lungs is pushed out, and I begin to feel light-headed, I see you throw a rock at Gollum.

As he releases me, I feel a rush of air fill my lungs, too much air, or so it feels, so I am thrown into a coughing fit. I watch you fight with Gollum, until I decide to run up to the opening without you. As I run up, I hear you call my name, but I do not answer. I run into the opening, and out onto the narrow ledge, the one place I can destroy the Ring. As I pull the Ring out of my shirt, I hold it over the lava, all the while keeping my gaze fixed upon it. As my emotions swirl around in my brain, I feel all independence leave me. I feel hate, love, lust, sorrow, joy and fear. As you run in, I hear your voice calling mine.

"I'm here, Sam," I respond, my voice dull and my brain fuzzy with indecision. As you prod me to destroy it, I hold it up once more, the last little bit of Frodo from the Shire stands up to what I have now become, only to finally be beaten down after a strenuous fight. I turn around, and you look at me, your eyes so innocent and confused.

I say the words I promised myself so long ago I would never say. "The Ring is mine." You yell, for all you have gone through has been in vain. I slip the Ring on, so happy to finally feel one with it, and you look desperately for me. Gollum appears behind you, but I do not warn you, for I no longer hate him. He knocks you down with a blow to the head, and you fall to the ground with a thud.

Gollum searches for me, I can see him, and he finally jumps, searching for my finger, the one with the Ring on it. He finds it, and bites it off. A blinding pain courses through my body, and blood spills everywhere. I cry out, and fall to the ground. He throws my finger away, focusing only on the Ring, the one thing he has been searching for all this time. He starts to dance, all the while yelling "Precious!"

I feel anger and immense hate fill me, and I run over to him, trying to push him over the side. I feel your eyes watch me, Sam, hoping I can win this battle and come out safely. I briefly fight with Gollum before I push him over the side. He drags me over with him, and I know now this is the end.

You cry out as I fall and rush to the edge, vainly trying to grab me as I fall to my doom, but also to the safety of all Middle-Earth. As I look at you one last time, I see tears flowing out of your eyes. I whisper thank you, and you seem to understand. As you turn away, not wanting to see me swallowed up by the burning lava swiftly approaching me, I know I have fallen, but this time you cannot catch me.


End file.
